Spellbound
by Aneetra
Summary: AU. On a quiet Friday afternoon, Naruto accidentally catches a student spreading his legs for a teacher. After that, he just can't seem to get the boy out of his head. NaruSasu, NaruHina, LeeSaku and others. Rated M. Features a slutty Sasuke.
1. Chapter 1

**SPELLBOUND**

Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me, but their OOCness certainly does. ;)

Pairings: NaruSasu, NaruHina, SakuLee, and maybe others

Warnings: Boy x boy, student/teacher relationships, language, citrus, some dark themes.

Rated: M

**Chapter One**

I don't remember why I had been standing here. But those eyes had kept me spellbound. Arms wrapped loosely around a collared neck, fingers threading dark brown tresses, he was smiling slyly at me with every thrust, every soft moan he let escape as if inviting me to come closer, tantalising, seducing. They lay behind the teacher's desk in an empty classroom filled with thin shadows, a lattice work across the tables and chairs, almost concealing. There was no one around, just them and me and their strained breathing, the muffled sounds of flesh on flesh, and dark, dark eyes holding mine.

I couldn't move.

He turned his gaze, knowing I would follow the curve of his back as he arched into the large hands that held him. He pressed the head closer to his pale chest, muffling the guttural groans as he got himself into a sitting position. I could see only his head behind the desk as it bobbed up and down, quickly, frantically, his teeth biting at his bottom lip, his eyes closed as if in deep concentration. When he turned to look at me again, those eyes were hazy but an eyebrow was raised at me salaciously.

I snapped out of myself and ran.

-o-o-o-

"So Naruto, did you end up finishing the worksheet?"

"How come you didn't come to practice on Friday?"

"You forgot to collect the game from me last night."

"Naruto, are you even listening?"

I looked up from the Econ book I was reading to see Sakura, Kiba and Shikamaru's faces peering into mine. I switched on a dazzling smile.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Dude, we were talking to you," Kiba groused, walking back to his seat located right next to mine. Sakura was about to slap me upside the head but I dodged it, thankfully. She ended up crossing her arms and spun her seat back to face the front. Shikamaru just rolled his eyes.

"Guys," I pleaded. "Give me a break. I haven't been in this class since _forever_. At least give me some time getting used to seeing the word... 'economics'?" I looked critically at the book before shutting it loudly, waving the white flag. I was kidding myself anyway. I'd been reading the same paragraph three times and didn't understand a thing.

"And whose fault is that?" Sakura asked self-righteously, turning slightly to glare at me.

"Mine," I conceded again. "But you know," I added brightly, "As the future captain of Konoha High's basketball club, I'll be bringing pride and glory to all the people in this school, so something as tiny and insignificant as Economics won't tarnish me!"

My laughter was cut short by Sakura's whack on the head. That woman had _strength_.

"Oww... Sakura-chan," I whined.

"Stop making excuses for you cutting classes!" she admonished.

"It's not like I don't do anything with my time," I defended. "I _practice_."

"Go practice now then, loser," snickered Kiba by the side.

I gave him a glare. If I could, I'd be out on an empty court practising my shots too, but he knew, in fact, everyone knew that in order to attend the interhigh tournaments, a student needed to prove that their game wasn't a detriment to their studies. And _gosh_, were my studies detrimental.

The interhigh tournament is only a month away and I'm on the verge of failing five of my seven subjects. _Five! _The two subjects keeping me afloat were PhysEd (obviously) and Maths because the teacher Iruka never has the heart to fail me. But aside from them.. man, I'm honestly just praying that the teachers would be lenient with their supplementary exams come the end of the month.

I sighed despairingly. Sometimes I wished I was as smart as Sakura or Shikamaru, then life would be a complete breeze.

"Don't worry, Naruto," Sakura said in a comforting tone. She probably saw the helpless look in my eyes: I've been told I'm as easy to read as an open book. "Do well for this month and I'm sure you can make up for it. Besides, you have me and Shikamaru to tutor you if all else fails."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't even offer."

I couldn't help laughing as Kiba and Shikamaru made to dodge an irritated Sakura fist. It's been a while, I realised, as I stared at the familiar scene before me. I've been missing a lot of classes due to the Konoha championships that went on for the past two months, and haven't seen these guys nearly enough. We'd been together since second year grade school and now ten years have gone by as quick as the bloom of sakura flowers outside. A bit over a year left and we'll be in our final year and working towards our separate paths. Sakura is going to be a doctor, that much I'm sure. Kiba despite his complaints, would end up taking care of his family pet business; while Shikamaru, well, that guy could be anything he wanted, that genius asshole. Me? I've always bragged that I'd be the second Japanese basketballer to make it big in the NBA after Yuta Tabuse, but for some odd reason, now that our team has won our prefectural games and are the no. 1 representatives, I was becoming less and less sure of that idea.

"So why weren't you at practice on Friday, anyway?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah," Kiba chimed in. "You never miss practice."

"Something happened?" Shikamaru asked, as inquisitively as he could make his voice convey.

They weren't a part of the club, no matter how many times I tried to get them to join, but from time to time, they would come to see me practice and cheer me on. Fridays, especially, considering the weekend meant they didn't need to rush home to study - well, Sakura typically; Shikamaru being so lazy would probably just end up sleeping, while Kiba would be playing with his breed of dogs.

I racked my brains trying to think of Friday. What _did_ happen? I wondered. Friday I was at school after receiving a lecture from old man Sarutobi that if I didn't pick up my slack, I wouldn't be able to participate in the interhigh competition - not that I hadn't learnt from _last year_. But I ended up skipping periods three and four anyway because I hadn't finished a Biology assignment that was due and Anko's face is super scary when she's mad. Then I decided to skip English as well because I hadn't read the chapter on Nouns and Noun Phrases or something equally stupid, but went back to class at the end of the day anyway to get the textbook for the weekend when...

_Oh._

That's right. No wonder I couldn't immediately recall what happened on Friday: I'd spent the whole weekend trying to forget about that damn boy and those dark dark eyes in the empty classroom with that...that _teacher_. Was it Shinosaki-sensei? Or was it Urahara-sensei? Why had they even -

"Naruto? Earth to Naruto?"

I quickly shook my head, trying to snap out of my reverie. Right now was definitely not the time to think back to that damn afternoon. I didn't even know what had possessed me to stay standing like that, staring like a gaping fish. I just hope I don't ever have to bump into that guy in the school halls or something because I have no idea how I'd be reacting if I saw him again.

"You're so out of it today," Sakura remarked with a curious stare.

I tried to laugh it off. "Oh, I'm fine!" I said in between my chortles, hoping it would convince her.

Her eyes didn't seem to believe me but just then the teacher walked in, and being the good student she was, quickly spun around. I sighed a quick sigh of relief. It's hard to get Sakura off your back sometimes. When she gets worried about you, she probes and probes until you kinda just have to give up and lay your heart out on your hands for her to inspect. Sometimes it was comforting. Other times it was just annoying, like recounting your school day to your own mother when you were already in high school.

And right now, the last thing I wanted her to know was that I'd accidentally spied on someone doing _it_ in a classroom, with a teacher no less. She'd probably get me to report it to the principal or the board of teachers or something, but only _after_ lecturing me about common decency and everyone's right to privacy.

Yeah, she's that kind of annoying.

"Good morning class," greeted the teacher who entered. I'd forgotten his name, maybe Nobu, or Nobuta or something - I hadn't seen him for a while. I quickly decided that I should re-open my book, an attempt to give a good impression.

He walked in with easy strides then immediately stopped when he saw me.

"Oh, Naruto? Finally cared to join us?"

I gave him a sheepish grin. The class decided to laugh at my embarrassment.

"Guess that could only mean that the tournament is approaching then," he continued with a sigh. He placed his books neatly on his desk before looking at me again, a little glint in his eyes. "Well, Naruto. Good luck! Hope you can do Konoha proud."

My grin widened at that and I stood to give him a two finger salute. Anyone who was remotely excited about basketball was a friend to me. "Yessir!" I said, only to be met with more laughter. He chuckled softly before starting the class.

Sakura turned to roll her eyes at my antics. I sat down and gave her a wink.

"I've got some good news for you guys today..." he began.

I started tuning out his beginning speech. It was a bad habit of mine I know, but I just could not get myself to pay attention to those first ten minutes when a class begins. When I was twelve, I'd come up with the theory that everything that was important was always spoken about at the _end_ of class. I managed to get Shikamaru to agree with me and, considering that that guy is pretty much a genius, it's as good a fact to me then as it is now.

I turned to look out the window, fingers tapping absently and wondering how long till recess. As I peered out towards the large yard, past the cherry blossoms and towards the front entrance, I saw a lone figure enter the school grounds. His shirt was ruffled by the slight breeze and I could make out the skinny frame and pale skin his shirt exposed. The dark hair was slightly long and messy, jutting arrogantly by the back as if he hadn't bothered brushing it at all.

I found myself wondering vaguely who he was. I hadn't seen him before.

"... 60% of your total mark."

My head snapped at that. That would be my cue to pay attention.

There were groans before the teacher continued.

"Yeah, I know, I know, you all hate working in groups. Too bad I've already decided on them." A smile. "I'm handing the assignment sheets around so you know what is required. Now, for the groups..."

I turned to poke Kiba in the arm.

"What's this 60% thing?" I whispered none-too-softly.

He gave me a small shrug of his shoulders. "Beats me."

I couldn't help chuckling. Kiba was as hopeless as me.

"...Tezuka and Miko. Shitsui, Ran and Kiba."

Immediately Kiba gave a little fist pump. He gave me a wink when I shot him a confused look. "Ran is a babe," he whispered.

"...Shikamaru and Totsu. Chie, Yumi and Matsumoto. Rumi, Takasaki and Jun."

Idly, I wondered if Sakura's name had been called. Then, realising the situation, I quickly smacked my two hands together and started to pray that she hadn't and that she'd be paired with me. I'd feel sorry for anyone else otherwise because I sure as hell didn't know what I'd have in myself to contribute. I may not care too much about school generally, but I knew more than anything that I needed to do well in my subjects for this current month. And 60% is clearly more than half. (Yeah, I did pass elementary school maths.)

"Naruto."

My ears pricked at my name.

"Sakura."

My eyes snapped open and I whooped, almost loud enough for Sakura to spin around and whack me on the head again. So I _am _with Sakura. God was definitely on my side today.

"And Sasuke."

I was almost dancing in my chair before I caught Kiba's curious gaze. I stared back, raising my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked, but he didn't say anything. The teacher cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Okay, move to your groups. You have the whole period to discuss what you'll be doing."

I decided to ignore him and was on my way to pushing my table forward to meet Sakura's when the door slid open. I swept a careless glance to the right where the entrance was and accidentally dropped my hold. The table rattled slightly against my absent hands.

A tall, thin student entered with his shirt untucked and his belt hanging dangerously low on his hips, movements oddly graceful. I recognised him as the guy I'd seen just outside, but from this distance I could make out the ridiculously skinny frame and the rough collarbones that jutted from his shirt, the top two buttons having not been fastened. I was almost positive that I hadn't seen him before, not in this class anyway, but something in the way he held himself made me feel as if I must have some other time in the past.

The teacher approached him to explain something but the noises from the room had muffled their sounds. Belatedly, I turned to see Kiba nudging at my arm.

I'd been staring.

"Good luck," he whispered thickly, a vague look of pity filling his eyes. "I haven't spoken to him, but I heard from others he's a bit of an asshole."

I stared blankly at him, not knowing what he was saying.

Kiba sighed dramatically. "Sasuke," he said. "Your new group mate. He transferred here a month ago."

"Sasuke?" I asked dumbly.

"Yeah," said Kiba, "doesn't talk much, that guy. Some of the girls are crazy about him. But he just gives me the creeps."

He shuddered as he walked away.

I turned to look at the boy again, slowly trying to register what Kiba had said, when he turned to see me. And my heart instantly fell.

Black eyes locked with mine. I could recognise those eyes from a mile away, those dark dark eyes, staring at me as if he knew what I was all about, that I could hide nothing from that piercing, knowing gaze. I couldn't stop the images that were flashing through my mind: the pale skin, the long fingers, the clean arch of a skinny back, the soft, muffled moans, and I felt my cheeks instantly heat up.

Oh shit, I found myself panicking, _please _don't recognise me.

I broke the gaze, looking down. Then despite myself found my eyes searching wildly at the room, almost frantic until they landed on Sakura. She was rummaging through her bag trying to find something and I swore as I couldn't contain my gaze on her, my eyes reluctantly being pulled in his direction again.

He was walking towards me now, very slowly, every step languid as if he had all the time in the world. I wasn't sure if I was breathing heavy but I could hear the pulse in my chest echo with every stride he made, almost mocking my sudden nervousness. Then just as I finally decided that it was best that I turned _away_ from him now, his mouth quirked upwards into a wicked, wicked smile.

My heart stopped.

He remembered me.

TBC?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

I'm trying hard not to look at him when he approaches, but I know that he could see through my act like looking glass. If I was to be honest though, it really isn't any surprise. Not everyone at school has blonde hair and dark skin like me. And being the starter for the Konoha Leafs, my bigger and taller frame would've made it easy, almost too easy, to recognise that I had been the one who had been shamelessly staring at him on that awful awful afternoon.

But it's strange, because when he sits down, the smile is wiped so cleanly off his face that I find myself wondering if I had even imagined it to begin with. He doesn't really look at me at all afterwards as well. He sits coolly with his legs crossed, hands in his pockets, acknowledging Sakura with only a small nod of his head, ridiculously poised.

And, just like Kiba says, he doesn't say a word.

I've worked with Sakura enough times for her to know what to expect from me. So the movements comes naturally to her: opening the books, jotting down ideas, thinking, weighing and deciding on a topic. She doesn't expect me to help, and I suspect that she doesn't need the guy, Sasuke's, either, but when I gather myself enough to hear what she's saying, I realise that she's begun asking the guy for his opinions in an unnaturally polite way.

"Maybe we can choose a utility to work on? You know, graph it against consumption costs at decade intervals and chart the time of inflation. What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

She's putting on that sweet voice of hers, all proper, the one she tends to use when trying to impress adults or important strangers. And it hits me almost immediately that she's actually _attracted_ to the guy. There's even a slight blush dusting her cheeks.

"...Or perhaps real estate? We can get two areas and compare them, say Kikichue-cho with Wabisae-cho, we can draw a pattern in their supply and demand, and then..."

My gaze draws to Sasuke despite myself. Surely, I'm not jealous, I tell myself, as I find my eyes guiltily checking him out. My crush on Sakura left me at elementary so there was absolutely no reason for me to compare myself to him at all. But despite those thoughts, I almost feel compelled to sneak furtive glances to his side, like a ticking time bomb, dangerously fascinating. My eyes notice his skin, the tall bridge of his nose, his pale lips, the dark dark hair, and suddenly, my hands feel clammy.

_What am I doing to myself?_

I _so_ need to get out of here.

When I look back at Sakura, she's busy writing down notes in her workbook. I'm squirming so much in my seat that I have no choice but to clear my throat.

"Ahem!"

They turn their eyes to me almost immediately. Okay, I may have cleared my throat a little too loud.

"So..." I drawl, trying to keep cool and making sure that I wasn't looking at the guy at all. "You think... I could, like, get a drink or something? Super thirsty. I'll be back real quick. Ha ha ha."

Sakura's eyes instantly narrows. "Are you trying to get out of doing work?" she asks, rightfully suspicious.

"Nah," I say, trying to sound smooth, but the word comes up like a choked whisper instead. I clear my throat again before continuing. "Seriously. I'll be, like, two seconds."

She stares at me for a moment before releasing a sigh, and then turns her gaze apologetically to Sasuke. "Hurry," she says, almost grumbling as she continues writing whatever it is that she's writing.

_Yes! _

That was almost too easy.

With a quick gesture to the teacher to tell him where I was going, I run out of the classroom and down the corridor to the closest water fountains.

It's probably the burst of fresh air, because when I'm outside, I'm flooded with such an overwhelming sense of relief that it almost makes my knees go weak. I walk over to the edge of the fountains and take a seat down, letting my body relax.

That guy. Even after a whole weekend just wouldn't leave my mind. I'm not sure what was wrong with me, why I'm so affected by a guy I barely even know, but it's seriously getting ridiculous.

So I caught him, I think, looking absently at the empty courtyard ahead.

I caught him having sex with another man.

It really isn't such a big deal in this day and age. Of course, putting a teacher in the picture makes it a little bit more complicated but... who am I to judge?

I'm just a guy who plays basketball for godsakes!

My head drops to my palms hopelessly.

Right now I should be focussed on the championships ahead instead of thinking about such inane matters as who and what a guy does in his... spare time. I barely even _know_ him. And now that I have to work with him, I can't be thinking about his sex face every time I see him because it'll be... _distracting._

I shake my head violently, trying to shake the thoughts away, too. I need to get over it. I need to seriously get my wits together!

I sit for a while longer, finally coming to a decision. I'm not going to look at him, I'm not going to react to him, I'm not going to do anything to him. This is seriously beyond stupid.

With another sigh, I stand up. But as soon as I turn to head back inside, I hear a small voice call from behind.

"Naruto-kun?"

I turn back around to where the voice came from.

Standing a few feet away from me is Hinata, a book held closely against her chest. She has on her warm smile, eyes gentle, and instantly, as if a spell had been cast on my thoughts, everything disappears, and I find my face splitting into a huge grin.

"Hinaaaaaata-chan," I say happily, stomach instantly warm and fuzzy.

There's a bounce in my steps as I go near her, pulling her into a tight hug.

_Hinata. Where have you been!_

My chest feels so warm that I feel like I might be crushing her in my arms. There's always been something in Hinata's presence that makes me feel like this - warm and familiar and comfortable, like that blanket you wrap yourself in on a cold winter's day, safe and secure. I don't know if it's like this with girlfriends, but seeing her was often like swallowing a tranquiliser. She has that uncanny ability to calm my insides, making me feel like nothing was ever the matter, that nothing should ever bother me. And right now, it was the perfect time and place to settle me.

She chuckles in my embrace but manages to push me away a moment later, so shy is she with any form of public affection.

I show my disappointment with a pout, keeping my hands on her shoulders as the only form of contact. "What're you doing?" I ask, voice light, her drug already working as I begin to feel very much like my usual self.

"Iruka-sensei told me to return his book to the library," she says, showing me the book, _Mathematical Theorems_, or something or another. "Why're you out of class?"

"I have economics," I say, scrunching my face up playfully and giving her a tormented look by way of explanation.

She chuckles sweetly, the book placed against her chest again.

"How come you didn't come to practice on Friday?" she asks innocently.

I falter a bit before replying with an apologetic look, "I wasn't feeling too well." There's a small pang of guilt, but I try to push it aside. I hadn't actually contacted her at all last week, so busy was I in trying to exhaust myself on the courts from the images of Friday afternoon. She'd called me a few times, too, but I hadn't returned any of them either.

"Really? Are you feeling better now?" she asks worriedly.

The teasing smile comes naturally to my lips. "If you give me a kiss?" I say suggestively.

She blushes furiously at that and I can't help laugh at how her eyes drop immediately to the ground in embarrassment. We've been dating for five years, and still she can't seem to get those junior high jitters out of her.

Then, as if coming to a quick decision, she sneaks a brief glance around before she walks closer towards me. Tiptoeing, she waits for me to bend down lower as she places a chaste kiss on my cheek. Before she steps away, though, I snake a quick hand to the back of her neck and pull her forward so that I can smack a big kiss on her lips myself.

"Much better," I say, eyes peering into her wide grey ones.

She steps back on instinct but the small smile betrays her.

We were having a moment, standing and looking at each other contentedly when something jolts her. "I need to go," she says, suddenly quick to leave. "I'll see you later at practice?"

She hurries away after my weak nod, and I reach out to touch her hand, only to end up brushing her fingers briefly in her rush.

_What's the hurry?_

I stare at her disappearing form, blinking confusedly, before sighing and turning around to go back inside.

And that's when I see him again.

He was standing by the entrance, leaning leisurely against the frame with his arms crossed against his chest. I realise now why Hinata had been so hasty.

"Cute girlfriend."

His voice jars me, almost makes me flinch, and it suddenly occurs to me that I hadn't actually heard him speak before. His voice is a smooth, low timbre, much much deeper and much more masculine than I had anticipated from his thin and effeminate frame that I find myself oddly perplexed. Then, he's pulling out that smirk again, the same as the one earlier in class, every bit mocking.

And it hits me.

This guy...

I know I told myself to ignore him but...

I'd been so confused with how to act and how to think around him that I must've been completely blinded. This guy... he isn't fascinating at all. He isn't alluring, he isn't _anything_. He's just been quietly mocking me the entire time. Like I'm the butt of some joke. And I hadn't even _realised._

_Bastard!_

"Wish I could say that about _yours_," I snap without thinking, suddenly furious. How _dare_ he mock me. How _dare_ he mock Hinata. _Stupid jerk._

His eyes widen slightly as if surprised. But he's quick to recover because the smirk broadens.

"Didn't think you saw him," he says, sounding amused.

I give him a glare.

"I didn't," I say with venom, not wanting him to get the wrong idea at all. "Why would -"

"Because I was sure you were too busy looking at me," he cuts in smoothly.

My body freezes, blood suddenly cold. He's looking at me again with that wicked smile now, and I realised too late that I had fallen right where he wanted me.

The rush of blood in my body is so fast and sudden I thought I might just pass out.

That... _asshole! Is he implying..._

He was about to say something else but stops himself and laughs out loud, a surprisingly innocent sound, almost like a child's. But I wouldn't be fooled. Not by this guy and his antics.

"In your dreams!" I snap angrily, feeling my blood boil. "I was just shocked that a student could dare do such a thing on school grounds!"

There's a glint in his eyes before he speaks.

"Shocked?" He asks, lips still curled at the corners. "Or delighted?"

He's walking down the stairs now, but those eyes are looking at me challengingly in a sideways glance, daring me to refute him. I was so stunned by what he'd just said that I was held absolutely speechless.

_He... He... _

_Goddamnit! _

_He... _

_Naruto, say something back!_

"Are you crazy!"

I spun on my heels, feeling as if my insides were on the verge of erupting, my blood coming like hot lava. That arrogant prick! Did he think that I'd actually _liked _it when I'd almost ruined my body playing basketball for 10 hours straight, every day afterwards, just trying to forget his damn eyes and damn pale skin. It wasn't like I _wanted_ to see, but he... he...

"You completely scarred my eyes, you asshole!" I shout, not caring how loud I was. "You think I wanted to have the memory of two guys going at each other? I'm not fucking gay!"

My fists are scrunched so tightly I can feel my nails digging into skin. I don't think I've _ever _met someone this infuriating!

He takes his sweet time with the taps and when he finishes, raises a finger to gently wipe at the corners of his lips.

Then, he's looking at me, considering, before he slowly starts walking towards me. Stopping a feet away, his face leans in a little closer, tilted to the side. He's tall, but he's still half a head shorter than me so I glare down at him furiously in warning.

"Really?" he drawls, looking up, ignoring my gaze. I ignore the urge to move away. No way am I going to let him think that I'm _scared_ of him.

He's so close now that I can feel his cool breath touch my cheek. I'm not sure what he's doing, but he's peering into my face very carefully, eyes roaming over my features as if studying a painting, making my pulse race. Then his eyes meets mine and locks, and I can't help but notice the small flecks of red near his irises, stunningly beautiful. Unwittingly, my breath hitches.

The asshole smirks.

"Could have fooled me."

He's about to walk away again when I feel something inside me snap.

"Whatever," I say loudly, outright annoyed. Then, bitingly, "You can fuck him all you want, Sasuke, but I doubt he even gives a shit about you."

I stop myself too late. I hadn't actually meant to say those words.

There's a pause before he turns to me, and for a second I think I see his eyes narrow at me. But it's gone, quick as lightning, and there's that twist of his mocking lips again.

G_oddammit_, how can anyone possibly be this conceited?

"Hmmm," he says, slowly considering his next words."Don't tell me you're... _jealous_?"

He's smiling like the incredulous look I'm giving him is the funniest thing in the world.

"W-what?" I splutter indignantly.

"You are terribly nervous," he says amusedly.

"'Cause you're a _freak_!" I spat.

There's an odd ringing in my temples and I realise offhandedly that my pulse is so loud, it's affecting my line of vision. There's nothing but me and him and this empty doorway, and somehow that frustrates me.

He's still smiling at me as he looks me up and down, appraising. Then, abruptly, he turns away as if he's suddenly had enough, and somehow, _that_ feels like a slap in the face.

"It's too bad though," he says airily, walking up the stairs to go back down the corridor, tone ridiculously light. "I'm not interested in kids."

Kids?_ Kids!_

My body lurches forward on instinct.

"I'm not -!"

But then I catch myself before I can say anymore.

The realisation hits me with a pang, so strong I can feel my body shake in its aftereffects.

How...

Staring absently at his disappearing form along that empty hallway, I find myself suddenly so confused that it scares me.

Maybe I'm just mistaking my emotions a little. Maybe I'm just being immature. Maybe... I've completely gone out of my mind.

Because seriously, how in the _world_ can those words offend me?

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Thank-you for your hard work!"

We leave the first years behind for clean up duty and head towards the locker room. I'm walking alongside Chouji and Lee in the brightly lit hallway, towel on my shoulder and lifting my water bottle for long gulps of water. Friday practices were the most gruelling in part because it was the last practice for the week, but mainly because I'm convinced that Neji is a weekend hater and just wants us to be all sore and stay cooped up at home. Ever since his handed-down captaincy late last year, he's been making practice sessions like his own personal workouts, which simply put, is hell training. Mondays and Wednesdays, he'd be kind enough to not work us too hard since we had school the next day. Friday though, it was a series of drills without rest and long exhausting practice games that left your body feeling almost crippled. It's no wonder so many students dropped out this year.

"Naruto-kun, have you been working on your jumpers? I think your form is deteriorating."

I turn to see Lee looking askance at me, expression worried. I give him a confused look. I think my form is fine.

"Like everyday," I tell him honestly.

"Really?" he asks, using his towel and wiping absently at his temple. "But these days you've been missing really easy jumpers. The ones you usually make. Perhaps you should join me in the morning so I can help you work on it?"

Lee's the sharp shooter of the team. His work ethics are unparalleled. The guy wakes up every morning at 5am to make 500 threes before starting his day like an old religion. I slightly cringe at his offer. I have no desire to do that just yet.

"Eh he he he," I laugh awkwardly. "Thanks Lee, but I'm good. Besides, I like my sleep-ins way too much."

"Naruto-kun, it's all about developing good habits," he begins in his preaching tone, eyes shining like all the times he's about to go off some tangent about youth and energy and passion. I sneak a quick glance at Chouji to see if he can bail me out but he's way too tired to even be paying attention to us so I know I'm stuck.

"Hey, Naruto!"

I turn myself to the general direction of the voice. It's Sakura, standing a few metres from the entrance of the gym behind us. _Yes! Saved!_

"Hey Sakura!" I call.

"Sakura-san!" Lee cries, immediately stopping beside me and letting the rest of the group before us walk ahead.

There's a slightly pained expression in her face when she sees Lee's bright expression, but she holds herself well as she walks towards us.

"Hi, Lee," she says politely.

"Sakura-san, how have you been?" asks Lee enthusiastically. "You still look as lovely as the last time we've seen each other."

"Lee, we saw each other this morning."

"And yet it feels like almost an eternity since I've seen your angel face," he replies, sighing contentedly. "Are you here to speak to Naruto?"

"Clearly," she mumbles under her breath, sneaking a private glance at me. Then, raising her volume to normal, "Do you think I can have a word with him?" Alone, remains unspoken.

Lee's face positively falls, but he nods as he looks at me jealously and walks the rest of the way to the locker room by himself. I give his back a pitying look. That guy has it bad.

"So what's up?" I ask, turning to look at her. There's just the two of us in the empty hallway now and she puffs out a small breath of frustration. Ever since high school, Lee's been very in her face with his crush on her.

"Thought I could catch you before you went home," she says when she's done feeling sorry for herself.

"Did you want me to walk you home?" I ask.

"No, I'm fine. I just wanted to ask what you were doing tomorrow," she says locking her emerald eyes on mine. "I spoke to Sasuke-kun today and he's agreed to meet up to work on our economics project. We've only got two more weeks before it's due and we've barely even started. You think you can come join us? You know, considering it's worth 60 per cent and all."

My pulse quickens at the mention of the guy's name. Sasuke. Economics. Right.

For the past week, I hadn't actually spoken to him at all despite finding out that we actually share three of the same classes. Given the way he is, it doesn't come as a surprise that the guy doesn't really rock up to classes as well, only attending when he felt like it: sometimes in the morning, sometimes late in the afternoon. I'd come prepared since our conversation on Monday with a speech and all ready for him should he say anything ridiculous to me, but the reality was he never showed up to any of our project classes for me to execute it (_that asshole, wasted my time_). But we saw each other around enough, in corridors, on school grounds, in our shared Biology and English classes (yes, it was _that _English class with _the_ teacher, Shinosaki sensei), just pretty much at every corner I turned like a damn pest. He never approached or spoke to me but he was still the same conceited asshole with that arrogant smirk and deep, humour-filled eyes every time he catches me accidentally looking at him, like I'm still on the butt end of his terrible joke.

Which I know of, of course.

The joke, I mean.

That jerk thinks that I like him. That I'm actually _gay_ and like him_._ Never mind that I actually have a _girlfriend_, whom he'd already seen with me on Monday. Where he got the nerve to think such things baffles me. He probably grew up thinking that with his pretty face and that slutty way of his, he could seduce any man walking.

Like hell.

"I... ah," I begin, trying to think of a way to get out of this. I was actually looking forward to the weekend to finally be alone and get _away_ from him. This impromptu study session is the last thing I could ever want.

Sakura shoots me a stern look, already knowing what I'm going to say.

"Naruto, you need to _pass_ to not miss out on the tournament this year," she lectures. "Remember last year when you were stuck spending summer with us complaining how unfair the school was to you? And when we lost in the finals, how you were all grouchy because Neji was apparently giving you crap saying that it was your fault and that you didn't take basketball seriously because you never showed your commitment to the team?" She glares at me for good measure. "You. Are. Coming. No excuses."

"But Sakura-chan," I whine, "what if I was planning to go on a date with Hinata-chan? God knows the last time we actually went on one."

And it was true. All this championship talk and basketball practice, we barely had any alone time at all these past couple of months. That and her damn curfew placed on her by Hiashi that had her going home by 7pm everyday, it was hard to arrange anything.

"I'm sure Hinata would be more than willing to put a raincheck on that, if it meant you'd be going to the state championships this time around, Naruto," she says condescendingly. "She _is_ the team manager."

I sigh, defeated. I can never win with Sakura.

"Fine," I grouse, sighing disappointedly for effect. "What time?"

"Two o'clock at Konoha state library."

"Okay."

"And remember to come prepared" she adds. "Do some research tonight so you won't have to look like a fool when tomorrow comes."

I roll my eyes at her. "Sakura, I doubt this Sasuke-guy will be prepared himself. He's the one missing out on classes, remember?"

"He's smart enough, Naruto," she states matter-of-factly, and I wonder if I should be letting her off for her not-so-nice implication of me. "And besides," she continues, "the last time we had any form of discussion he was actually _there_ while you disappeared for a whole half period purportedly for a drink, but never came back." She gives me another glare.

I look away, not wanting to think about that particular day and that particular conversation right now.

"Alright, alright," I grumble, annoyed.

"Good," she says and after a pause, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

She spins on her heels, her bubblegum hair swaying prettily from the motion, and exits down the length of the corridor.

When I enter the locker rooms, everyone is about finished and they say their goodbyes quickly, wanting to either hurry home or to whatever plans they had already pre-arranged. I'm left in the small room all by myself and the quietness inevitably makes me think about my very soon encounter with Sasuke.

Not that I needed to start thinking about him now, my inner Naruto chides at me. But I suppose this _can_ be a good thing because we may end up finishing the stupid project early so that we wouldn't have to cross paths anymore. Or, maybe it was time that I finally use that speech I had organised and win back my stupidly lost pride.

_/"Shocked?" He asks, lips curled at the corners. "Or delighted?"_

"_Don't tell me you're... jealous?"/_

I sigh heavily again. It's been a whole week and I still haven't managed to convince my stupid brain to stop thinking of him. Now it wasn't so much what happened last Friday, but that damn conversation we had on Monday. I could remember the words like a badly played script. How could he keep plaguing my mind like that?

"You're still here."

The cool voice gets me out of my reverie and I instinctively close my locker door. Once I come back to myself I sigh again before turning to see Neji.

"Hey," I greet quietly.

Neji was talking to the coach with Hinata when we'd left the gym, which reminds me that I should be walking Hinata home.

"Is Hinata outside?" I ask for the sake of filling the silence. Though Neji and Hinata were related by blood, they could be no more different than say a flower and a damn rock. Whilst Hinata was a sweetheart, kind and easy to get along with, Neji was cold and indifferent, making him very hard to approach. When he was vice-captain last year, he'd been my unofficial training coach, helping me improve my shooting and rebounding. We'd stayed back so many nights together working on my game, but I could count on exactly one hand the amount of times we'd held a conversation together. I respected him and he tolerated me, but that was as far as our relationship goes.

Neji looks at me for a long moment, as if assessing, before nodding curtly in response.

I don't flinch, having already gotten used to his ways.

"Okay, I'll see you next week then," I say as I make my way out.

"Naruto," he says quietly but it's enough to get me to stop in my tracks.

I peer over my shoulder at him curiously. "Yes?"

There's a pause as if he's considering his next words and then he shakes his head, shaking his thoughts away. "Make sure you're practicing on the weekends," he says simply, and walks towards his locker.

"I always do," I say slowly, eyebrows knitting in confusion. I try to push down the curious feeling that was beginning to brew in my belly, knowing full well that the chances of him telling me his thoughts were scant, and just end up saying another brief goodbye before heading out.

Halfway down the corridor, I see that Hinata was making her way out of the gym.

She smiles as I approach her and my body relaxes into an easy stride.

"Can you walk me home?" she asks in her quiet, shy tone.

"No," I tease. "I can never walk my girlfriend home."

She chuckles softly, placing a hand over her mouth in that habit of hers, which is when I notice the stack of papers she was holding in the other.

"Wait for me outside?" she says. "I've just got to put this in coach's office. I won't be long."

"Okay," I say and head out the back way which is much easier to go to her place.

It was still a rather warm afternoon when I stepped out, the cool, gentle breeze immediately alleviating my tired muscles. The late afternoon sky spanned a pretty myriad of shades from afar: yellow, orange, and red, like a nice Van Gogh painting. Vaguely, I realise that it must be about six o'clock and figured Hinata and I could take our time before she really needed to be home.

I stop by the black metal gates, essentially the carpark entrance and exit for the teachers. One of the gate doors was closed and I briefly wondered if that lone car that was still parked inside would be able to fit and get out properly. Not that it was actually my problem, I think a beat later. I made my way to the left pillar facing the outside road and leant against it, waiting for Hinata.

A few minutes probably went by before I heard the sound of an engine start and the black parked sedan was soon peeking out of the driveway. It edged very close to me, trying to avoid the closed gate that had narrowed the exit and abruptly stopped, the vehicle halfway out. I wondered if maybe the driver had decided to head out and fix the gate, but then the darkly tinted windows were starting to wind down a few inches and paused. A hand reached out and the next thing I know, a cigarette butt was thrown my way and hit the side of my shoe. I frowned. The driver probably didn't see me but that was no excuse.

"Do we need to stop by a drugstore?"

The hand disappeared but the window remained slightly open, allowing me to hear the distinctively low, neat voice of Nobunaga-sense, my economics teacher, just above the hum of the engine.

I blinked.

I didn't know he smoked.

"No, there's some at my place."

The second voice was softer, but that could be because of the further distance. It didn't matter though, because from the amount of time I replayed the conversation from Monday morning, I could pretty much recognise that particular timbre anywhere.

Sasuke.

It was Sasuke.

My back stiffened.

_What's he doing in there?_

"Of course."

There was a chuckle and then the car was accelerating out, sending a whiff of smoke from skidding tyres, hurrying along the empty street with a purpose. Nobunaga-sensei's voice trailed in the wind, deep and mirthful like a song and then they were gone.

Just like that.

I stood stock-still at where I was, my mind fizzing confused like a broken antenna. It made no sense. Wasn't Sasuke dating Shinosaki-sensei? And hadn't that just been a week ago when they were last together?

Or perhaps they _weren't_ together.

I realised then that I might've actually been too naive. Despite my low thoughts of Sasuke, I hadn't actually _believed_ that he was as loose as he acted himself to be. He was an exhibitionist, yes, but I had thought that he was just like any seventeen year old who was at a stage of exploring and experiencing _relationships, _no matter how taboo it was.

Clearly, relationships didn't hold the same meaning with him as everybody else.

/"I'm not interested in kids."/

Oh he liked his men, all right.

Not only that, he liked older, authoritative men who kept him like a secret and drove him away in dark cars like nobody's business. The idea shouldn't irk me as much as it did, but I found my skin prickling like a cactus from the ugly notion.

Gosh, for all that cocky arrogance and sly antics of his, he sure had a way of letting himself get used!

I suddenly felt so angry with myself. I was obsessed with a guy who had absolutely no respect for himself and treated his own desires above all else. I absolutely _hated_ people like that. And I honestly didn't need people like him intruding my life at all.

This obsession of mine, it was going on for way too long.

Facing the empty, darkening street by myself, I decided right then and there, that it was definitely high time for it to stop.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys! This may not affect everyone, but I changed a slight detail in the previous chapter. Instead of them meeting up on Sunday, it's now changed to Saturday. Sorry! I know I should be careful with my uploads, but it just slipped me.

Oh, and while I have you guys, I just wanted to say a massive THANKYOU to those who reviewed and fav/alerted my fic! Love you all! It's very encouraging when I get emails letting me know that my writing has been read. Lol.

**Chapter Four**

When I went home it was already 7 o'clock. I kicked my shoes by the entryway and walked straight to the kitchen, absolutely starving. There was a bright orange note on the fridge so I peeled it off.

_Honey, we're at your dad's work dinner. Don't wait up for us. You'll need to bake the pasta for 20 minutes. XXX_

I groaned.

_Twenty minutes?_

My shoulders slumped as I threw the note carelessly away in the general vicinity of the bin. Fresh pasta bake is nice, mum, but right now I could care less how fresh it was as Iong as I had food in my stomach.

Puffing a frustrated breath, I walked to the oven to quickly work on the buttons before taking the pasta out from the fridge. When the pasta was in the oven with the timer on, I went up the stairs to take a shower before dinner was ready.

There was a lingering soreness in my muscles, but the hot water was soothing, allowing my whole body to relax as I washed myself. I absently reflected on my day - the practice, Sasuke, walking Hinata home, Hinata's goodbye kiss and soon I was touching myself on thoughts of long dark hair and pale skin, the feel of Hinata's soft supple breasts against my body, and came in a satisfying mess.

Not that I would know how soft her breasts were, though, I found myself thinking dimly a moment later, as I lathered soap on my body again to wash myself clean. But after today, compared to a tramp like _Sasuke_, I found myself finally appreciating Hinata for not being like everyone else. At the very least, her family and her placed a high value on self-respect.

But it was good though, to finally have this wake up call and be _normal_ again. Even having his name pop up like that didn't carry with it the same memories that would grip at the forefront of my mind like previously. I felt detached from him, from everything related to him, like accidentally leaving the T.V running on in the background during dinner, the noise negligible, inconsequential. It was somewhat liberating.

I turned the showers off and quickly dried myself. By the time I was fully clothed and went downstairs, there were about five minutes left before my dinner was ready.

I checked my phone to see if anyone had called or texted me during my time in the shower and found there had. Hinata had texted me to say thank you and Sakura had texted me reminding me about tomorrow.

_Damn._

_Tomorrow's still on._

I'd totally forgotten about it.

Soon the pasta was ready, and deciding to not procrastinate for once, I took my dinner upstairs and turned on the computer for research. I can still vaguely remember that our topic was on 'property', but what aspects, I wasn't quite sure. I took a few bites of the tuna pasta – _yum!_ My mum is the best cook! – and deliberated on whether or not to call Sakura to confirm.

"_Do some research on Saturday so you won't have to look like a fool when tomorrow comes."_

Ugh. I can still remember her biting tone. That Sakura. Always thinks I'm such a dumbass just because I don't get A's in my work.

I opened up Google and decided I should just figure it out myself.

In the search bar I typed in 'property in Konoha' and a bunch of real estate links popped up. I ate as I worked. There was no research material under this search so I randomly clicked on the related links at the end of the page.

It went on for a while, me continuously clicking onto related links but to no avail. There were a few articles from Konoha Times talking about the history of the market from 100 years ago but I doubt that that was relevant. I needed something more recent.

My body began to slump in disappointment. Really? How hard could it be? I just needed an article that was vaguely useful and I'd be done. Looking at the time on my computer I realized that I'd spent almost an hour on this. Annoyed, I emptied the search bar and typed in 'Konoha', 'property', '2000', 'money' and let the site do its job. If this doesn't work, I thought, I'm watching T.V.

When the page loaded, a lot of the same links appeared but I clicked onto page two anyway. Then, down the very bottom of the page, something caught my attention.

_The Daily Times: 'The most expensive estate in Konoha.'_

Well, that's certainly interesting.

I clicked onto it and began to read.

_**The Most Expensive Estate in Konoha**_

_Umi Masaki_

_Located about 40 kilometres from Town Square, in a large remote area quite often forgotten by our generation Y, lies the historical estate named after one of our city's founders – Uchiha Estate._

_This beautiful, lavish home that contains over 100 rooms, an 80 foot-long pool and a yard big enough to maintain 20 different gardens, is estimated to be worth a staggering ¥1, 000, 000, 000. There are an abundant number of exotic flowers and plants, both local and imported, challenging even the most knowledgeable botanist – banyans, bristlecone pines, alliums, even wild liatrises that are found so rarely in the soils of Japan._

_Since that long forgotten Uchiha massacre that happened almost a decade ago, the family who resides in this home has taken careful measures to retain the house's original appearance while also -_

I stopped reading, feeling my lips dip in a frown. Uchiha massacre? Never heard of that before. I scrolled back up to look at the date and noticed that it was only written this year. A decade ago I was seven.

My curiosity getting the better of me, even though that small part of my mind warned me not to stray from my topic, I got out of the page and searched for 'Uchiha massacre'.

There weren't a lot of articles on it considering 'massacre' was totally headline material. I vaguely wondered if the event was so bad that many of the articles were deleted or kept hidden to remove it from public memory. I decided to trust Konoha Times and clicked on their link dated May 20th 2002.

_**The Fall of the Uchiha Line**_

_Cold blooded killing ending the lives of Konoha's elite._

_Rin Shinbayashi_

_At around 6pm on May 19th 2002, the prestigious clan that is the Uchiha disappeared in a pool of blood and gore._

_No one knows how Uchiha Itachi, a mere fifteen year old boy could possess an M1911, which he used to openly fire at his own family, leaving only his youngest brother alive, before shooting himself in the mouth, committing suicide._

_The 50 odd workers who also shared the Uchiha name and resided in the expensive estate were found to be poisoned in what appears to be a planned annihilation by the young teen. Police are still trying to find any traces in the now haunting mansion to explain this senseless mass murdering._

_The sole survival, a seven year-old child that is now the only person to bear the Uchiha legacy, has been admitted to Konoha hospital for shock treatment._

My jaw dropped. Wow. Well, shit, if this isn't the most disturbing thing I've ever read.

_Poor kid, I wonder if he's still alive._

On impulse, I tried to search for him and a few articles said that he was being taken care of by a distant relative that didn't bear the Uchiha name. None of the articles revealed the kid's first name though, and a part of me was kind of glad that the media helped keep his privacy from the general public. Though if anyone who was old enough to remember this crazy massacre a decade ago had met him in real life, it'd be hard to not be reminded of his family's unfortunate demise.

I frowned again.

Gosh, that was some depressing stuff. Imagine having to go through all that?

I realised I'd lost whatever mood I was in previously and stood up to go lie on my bed. I sure hope the kid grew up okay, I thought, going under my covers. It hit me a moment later that he'd be about the same age as me, and that made me frown again. Who knows, we could've even seen each other once or twice on the streets before.

I closed my eyes at the thought.

I wonder if Sakura knows about this.

Without realising when, the terrible story slowly sliding from my thoughts, I soon fell asleep.

-o-o-o-

The next day, at about 1:30 I finished the last of my hoops and headed home to take a quick shower before meeting Sakura and Sasuke at Konoha state library. The library was only a 15 minute walk from my place so if I rushed, I would only be a bit late.

I ended up being 20 minutes late and the glare I received from Sakura almost made me cower.

"Sorry, I'm late," I said sheepishly, taking a seat opposite hers. "My mum made me run last minute errands." Sasuke was sitting in the seat next to hers, hand propped on his chin and sparing me a brief glance. I'm actually surprised he showed up and was on time, having had thoughts that he'd bail since he looked like the type to.

A flash of yesterday afternoon rushed through my mind, but disappeared before I could be affected. I took out my books, avoiding his gaze.

"Did you do any research last night?" Sakura groused. I could tell she was trying hard to reign in her anger and I inwardly cheered. Sakura probably still has a crush on that guy and in front of him, she wouldn't be doing anything to me.

_Ha! At least you're good for something, jerk._

"Yeah," I replied. "But I doubt they're any relevant. What have you guys got so far?"

"We've already charted the growth of property in the past decade," she answered, passing me some papers. "We're stuck for an example, though."

I looked over their work, marvelling at how much they'd done.

_Wow, at this rate, we _could _finish the whole thing today. _

I sneaked a glance at Sasuke. Maybe Sakura was right and he was kind of smart after all.

Looking back at the sheets in front of me, I skimmed through the information and my heart suddenly did a double take.

_Woah, they're talking about the inflation of property prices! _If this isn't a telling sign that I'm not so stupid after all, I'm not sure what is. The information I read last night had actually been relevant making the graph they drew up quite easy to understand.

"So you just need an example that best displays the growth of our market from ten years ago till now?" I asked, looking up at Sakura.

Sakura blinked, surprised.

"Yeah," she said, eyes widening.

_Ha ha, she's probably reeling in from shock that I actually understand what they're doing. Thank _God _I wasn't slack last night._

I racked my brains for some sort of idea, egged on by this sudden confidence that was bursting in my chest. Then, it hit me.

"Have you heard about the Uchiha Estate?" I ask, sitting up.

When Sakura gave me a blank stare, I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips.

_She totally didn't hear about it._

"Did you know that that estate is the most expensive in Konoha and is worth about ¥1, 000, 000, 000? Why don't we use that as an example?"

They didn't speak, so I continued, enthused.

"Ten years ago, it was worth a lot less but following the massacre that happened, the people who moved in two years after the mess redecorated and refurbished it, making the value rise about 3% and then increasing every year after that. They added an awesome pool and everything. It's apparently 80 feet long."

Sakura's mouth was almost hanging in disbelief. "U-Uchiha?" she finally whispers, absolutely stunned, and then sneaks a glance at Sasuke, probably trying to get his approval or something.

I turned to look at the guy, too, certain he was impressed, but the gaze he gave me was long and measuring.

"Maybe we should organise a tour?" he decided to say a moment later, voice dripping with sarcasm. His lips had quirked into his signature smirk, face tilted to mine and began eyeing me almost challengingly.

I tried to push down the annoyance that brewed in my gut.

_There's nothing to challenge here, jerk._

"I doubt they'd let us in," I say snarkily. "And anyway, it'd be pretty scary. I wouldn't want to be in the same place as over 50 dead people."

I turned to Sakura's flabbergasted face; she was much easier to look at.

"Yeah," I say, elaborating, "did you know that it was the oldest son who did it? Crazy, huh? But they never did find out the reason why. We were seven when it happened, that's why we don't remember it, Sakura. But the youngest kid is our age, too and apparently he's still alive."

I was feeling quite proud of myself actually. It was rare that I knew something that Sakura didn't.

"Apparently, he was certified insane."

I turned to Sasuke again. He was still smirking but I couldn't understand why.

"Who? The kid?" I ask, not sure who he was referring to.

The smirk grew wider. "Him, too."

My eyes instantly narrowed. "Asshole, that's not funny. Don't say something like that if you don't even know for sure."

Sakura suddenly coughed aloud, grabbing my attention.

"N-Naruto," she says, voice panicky, "let's, um, think of another example."

Her eyes were darting to Sasuke as she spoke and it tugged at something inside of me.

_Dammit, does she always need this guy's approval or something?_

"Why?" I ask, the irritation obvious in my voice. "I think it's perfect. It gives us factors to rising market prices. The timeframe matches what we're doing. The story is interesting. I know it can be rude to bring up such a sensitive topic like that, but no one else is reading it besides Nobunaga-sensei."

_Nobunaga-sensei, a man currently abusing his position._

_Or was he simply a victim of Sasuke's seduction? _

Those thoughts came unbidden.

Sakura sighed shakily, looking away. "Naruto..." she says cautiously, voice trailing off.

I was about to ask her what was wrong when Sasuke suddenly stood up, his chair scraping on the wooden floor in the library's quiet.

"If you'd excuse me, Sakura," he says, turning towards the exit.

"Hey, where're you going?" I snapped.

He walked away without looking back and I opened my mouth to yell at him again when Sakura's fingers gripped my wrist. _Hard_.

"Ow-ow-ow," I cried, but when I looked up her eyes were furious, her teeth bared in a sneer. She was just missing the smoke flaring from her nostrils to look exactly like a murderous bull.

"Are you _stupid_?" she gritted through clenched teeth when he completely disappeared. "Are you really this obtuse?"

My other hand went to remove her deathly hold on me. When she released her grip, I brought my arm close to myself, nursing it.

"What are you talking about?" I said, completely flummoxed by her wild reaction.

She gave me another glare and I felt myself begin to fume.

_Seriously, why is she always _glaring _at me?_

"You _really_ don't know?" she says acidly.

"Know _what_?"

"Sasuke's name, you _retard._"

"What _about_ his name?"

She stares at me with incredulous eyes, then drops her face in her hands resignedly. I could hear the soft whine she made, muffled in her palms.

"Naruto," she says quietly, almost painfully. "You really need to start paying attention around you, you know that?"

I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "Oh, great," I say sarcastically. "What did I do _this_ time?"

She looks up at me, eyes slowly searching mine, and for some reason that got me even more annoyed. I opened my mouth, just about to her snap at her for being around that Sasuke-bastard too long and turning into a condescending bitch when she finally answers my question.

"Naruto," she pronounces slowly, voice still soft but sounding almost pleading. "Uchiha is Sasuke's last name. He's Uchiha Sasuke. The Uchiha estate? It was _his_."

My heart dropped.

_What?_

TBC


End file.
